


The Gossamer Web

by Muirgen



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-10-29
Updated: 2015-06-28
Packaged: 2017-11-17 07:44:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/549216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Muirgen/pseuds/Muirgen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Following Voldemort's rebirth, Severus returns to his Master's side while a scandal in the Ministry throws the future into even greater uncertainty. Severus must push aside his own doubts and misgivings as he fights to protect all he holds dear. Post Goblet of Fire.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. There and Back Again

Disclaimer: Some of these characters are the intellectual property of JK Rowling, while those you do not recognise are my own. No monetary profit is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.

Special thanks go out to my beta, Bil, and to my Britpicker, Charlio, who have both done a fantastic job. This chapter is dedicated to my friend Kit, who heard the story first.

* * *

Chapter One: There and Back Again

_'The Battle of Britain is about to begin …_   _Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, "This was their finest hour'".' - Winston Churchill_

* * *

The halls of Hogwarts were utterly silent. The whole castle: the paintings, the ghosts, the amours lined up against the wall, were all subdued, as if they too were mourning the death of Cedric Diggory. To Severus, the only thing more painful than the loss of one of his students was the circumstances that had brought it about. The Dark Lord had returned. The idea was so terrible he did not want to believe it, but Severus did not have the chimerical luxury of denial; he had seen the Dark Lord with his own eyes. Severus had spent a week in the company of the Dark Lord, risking everything to return to the one who he had sworn never again to serve.

Pushing such thoughts to the deepest recesses of his mind, Severus made his way to the Great Hall. Dinner was about to begin, and an appearance would be required to show Albus and his students he had returned.

In order to account for his abrupt departure, rumor was spread of a "family emergency"- it was utter drivel of course, but it was the only explanation given. His godson had likely deduced the true reason for his absence and Severus could only hope that Draco kept that tidbit of information to himself.

Severus entered the Great Hall, his eyes sweeping over the assembled students. At the Slytherin table, Miss Parkinson nudged Draco and hissed,  _'He's back_.' A few others glanced up from their plates as he prowled by and seated himself at the Head Table, but most kept their heads bowed. The Hufflepuff table was especially solemn.

'Welcome back, Severus. I am glad to see you are well,' Albus said, his usual smile was conspicuously absent.

Severus merely scowled, heaping generous amounts of food onto his plate. The Headmaster gave him a concerned look, but Severus forestalled any attempts of further probing by taking a large bite of salmon.

_Clunk, clunk, clunk_. Moody hobbled into the Great Hall and made his way to the Head Table, though he faltered when he spotted the Potions Master. Moody quickly recovered and took a seat- as far away as he could manage.

Minerva arrived next, slightly breathless as she hurried to the table. 'I'm sorry for being late, Albus, I happened upon Miss Chang in the corridor…'

Albus waved his hand. 'No need to apologise, Minerva.' He sighed heavily. 'I fully understand.'

The Transfiguration teacher sat on Severus's other side. She nodded to him in greeting, but said nothing, which suited him just fine. Taking a sip from his goblet, Severus became aware of the feeling of being watched. Lifting his eyes from his plate, he immediately spotted the culprit:  _Potter_. The boy was frowning at him, eyes full of suspicion.

There was the rustling of robes and Severus looked away. Albus had set down his cutlery and risen to his feet. The hall immediately fell silent. 'The end,' Albus gazed at the students, the grief, as well as the fear and uncertainty apparent on the children's faces, 'of another year.'

Severus remained silent through the speech, except to give the toast to Mr. Diggory, his face a stoic mask. Beside him, Minerva blinked rapidly, her lip trembling. Further down the table, Pomona blew loudly into her handkerchief.

'…we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.

'It is my belief—and never have I so hoped that I am mistaken—that we are all facing dark and difficult times.'

* * *

The clock struck midnight as Severus flung the door open and stalked into the staff room which (with the addition of half a dozen chairs) had become the improvisatory Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.

Albus glanced up from his conversation with Elphias Doge as Severus found an unoccupied spot in the crowded room and leaned against the wall. 'Now that everyone is present, we shall begin. But first, I would like to introduce or rather  _re_ -introduce someone I believe you all know.' The Headmaster gestured to a form behind him and a massive black mutt stood and transformed into Sirius Black.

There was a collective shout from the room. Both Diggle  _and_  his hat toppled out of his chair; a black man in red Auror robes leapt to his feet drawing his wand; Hagrid roared, 'TRAITOR!' and pulled out his bumbershoot, and a squat, black-haired witch fainted dead away (she was caught by Sturgis Podmore, who looked quite pale himself.)

_'Silence_!' At Albus's command they all quieted, though they looked at Black with fear; the Auror did not lower his wand. 'I have spoken with Sirius and he has given me irrefutable proof of his innocence. He is no more a servant of Voldemort than I am.' Dumbledore paused at that point, allowing for Sturgis to revive the witch with a wave of his wand. 'Sirius Black is here at my invitation, as is every single one of you.'

Hagrid shrugged his massive shoulders. 'If Dumbledore trusts him,' he announced to the room, 'tha's good enough fer me.'

The Auror lowered his wand. 'Are you saying I've been chasing the wrong man all over Britain? I've spent hundreds of hours looking for him, all the Aurors have been-'

'Wasting their time, Shacklebolt,' Black interrupted, crossing his arms and lifting his chin; a pose that reminded Severus acutely of Regulus. 'I didn't betray James and Lily.'

'Then who did?' Sturgis asked, eyeing the Azkaban escapee suspiciously.

'Pettigrew,' Lupin said, speaking from his place at the table. 'Peter Pettigrew betrayed the Potters to Voldemort.'

This revelation produced more shocked exclamations and Diggle's hat once again found itself on the floor. Despite the numerous interruptions, Black's whole story—the bluff, his imprisonment, his escape and his attempt to catch Pettigrew—was eventually told.

At its conclusion the room was silent before Elphias asked Black, 'How long… how long was Peter working for You-Know-Who?'

'From what I've heard, over a year, but it's hard to know for sure, Azkaban inmates aren't exactly a truthful lot.' Black's eyes flicked over to Severus briefly, his eyes hard.

Mad-Eye growled. 'Why didn't we know about this sooner?' He demanded. His electric blue eye swiveled towards Severus, though his next words were directed at Albus. 'Isn't that what we have Snape for? Or maybe he knew all along and didn't think it was worth mentioning?'

At this accusation, everyone turned toward him- Mad-Eye smirked.

Severus surveyed the group: the suspicion was apparent on many of their faces, while others- Albus, Minerva, Molly Weasley, Arthur, and most surprisingly, Lupin- were looking at him without any animosity. Shacklebolt merely looked perplexed. Severus hesitated. The Auror along with the dark-haired witch were new to the Order… he was now forced to damn himself once more.

'The Dark Lord has many secrets,' he said, selecting his words carefully. 'There is much He did not and shall not tell, even to the most loyal. The Dark Lord has worked very hard to assure that only He Himself knows the identity of all His supporters. That was the very reason why Igor Karkaroff was able to give less than half a dozen names in his own defense.'

'Which included you,' Mad-Eye snarled.

Severus flinched before he could compose himself. 'If you recall,  _Alastor_ ,' he snarled through gritted teeth, 'I was the one who deduced the Dark Lord had a spy in the Order, and I was the one who informed you all of that fact. If it was not for my information the Potters would not have hid under the Fidelius Charm.'

Mad-Eye opened his mouth to argue, but was silenced by Albus's quiet, 'That's enough, Alastor.' The group fell into an awkward silence. Severus could feel Shacklebolt's eyes on him, and kept his gaze determinedly locked on the opposite wall.

Arthur shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. 'What are we to do now, Albus? Cornelius Fudge may not accept You-Know-Who is back, but we must do  _something_.'

The Headmaster smiled. 'You need not worry, Arthur, I do not plan on just sitting idly by. I have spoken to Hagrid and Madame Maxime and they have agreed to leave tomorrow to act as envoys to the giants. I hope that they will either persuade them to become our allies, or at the very least not to become our enemies. I myself will address the International Confederation of Wizards; Cornelius may not accept Voldemort's rebirth, but I believe I shall be able convince a number of the representatives regardless.'

'Do you think you will be able to convince Britain's other representative?' Doge asked. 'If she is not on our side it could make things quite difficult.'

Albus smiled, his eyes twinkling as if he was in on some private joke. 'I know Miss Ahlgrim quite well- I consider her a close friend of mine. I firmly believe she will be among our strongest allies in the Confederation.'

The news appeared to put Doge at ease, though Severus doubted there was much a Mugwump could do- no matter how often she had the Headmaster over for tea. Their biggest enemy in the Ministry was Cornelius Fudge, and he had already made his views quite clear.

'What about the goblins?' Bill Weasley asked.

Dung snorted in his drink. 'Goblins? What do we want 'em fer? We don' need no rebellin'!'

Filius frowned, but several laughed. Lupin however, nodded. 'Bill is right, they are a part of our world. Voldemort is as much of a threat to them as He is to us.'

Emmeline Vance leaned forward. 'I agree. We need all the allies we can manage. You-Know-Who is certainly searching for them- I say we do the same. We should put aside our differences and work together.'

'Hear, hear!' squeaked Filius, raising his teacup in a toast.

'Would you talk to the goblins, then?' Albus asked, peering at Bill through his spectacles.

'I don't see too many when I'm out hunting treasure… I suppose I could request a transfer, get a desk job…' Weasley did not look too thrilled at the prospect.

'What about the students, Albus?' Minerva asked. 'Will Hogsmeade Station and Platform Nine and Three-Quarters be safe?'

It was as if a dementor had swept into the room. Molly stifled a cry behind her hands, while a pale Black sunk down next to Lupin.

'There, there, Molly…' Arthur put his arm around his wife. 'We'll get the students home safe and sound.' He looked to Albus. 'Do you think King's Cross will be targeted again?'

'No, at this point Tom is gathering allies and information; He will not strike until He is ready.'

Many did not look convinced, so Severus chipped in his two Knuts. He crossed his arms over his chest, attempting to ignore the slight shaking in his hands. The muscle relaxant he had drank earlier was beginning to wear off. 'King's Cross is safe, as safe as anywhere can be at this time. The Dark Lord has yet to attack the same place twice. It is a set pattern and He has not deviated from it.'

' _Yet_ ,' Mad-Eye growled. 'I'd rather not bank the safety of the students on a "pattern".'

'Only a fool would attack King's Cross tomorrow,' Severus snarled. 'The Minister has denied the Dark Lord's return, thus leaving everyone susceptible to attack. If the Dark Lord were to attack King's Cross, it would only serve to prove He really  _has_  returned. No, He will wait, reorganise His followers, reclaim His allies, and then, when He is ready, He will strike.'

'Severus is right,' Lupin said slowly, causing many to look at the werewolf in surprise, and Black to spit out his drink in shock. 'Because of Fudge, Voldemort virtually has free reign. He's going to use that to His full advantage; He wouldn't throw all that away so soon.'

The general room mumbled their agreement and Albus clapped his hands together. 'Now that that particular matter has been dealt with, shall we move on?

'Tom has regained His body a scant week ago, yet we already know a great deal of what He has been up to. Severus, at great personal risk, has returned to spy on Voldemort, and he has been able to learn some of what Tom is planning.'

After the Leaving Feast, the Headmaster had summoned him to his office to hear his report. Albus had little to say in response to Severus's information, though he had made it clear that when he was to reiterate his report for the benefit of the Order he was to leave nothing out. Severus had immediately objected- if the Order only doled out information on a need-to-know basis, leaks would be less likely to occur. But the Headmaster had remained adamant that he was to share  _everything_. Including the existence of the thrice-damned prophecy.

Severus flicked his eyes over to Albus, who merely nodded. Tearing his eyes away, he sneered at the assembled group. 'The Dark Lord is in high spirits, despite His failure to do away with Potter the night of the Third Task. As the Ministry has yet to attempt any action against Him, the Dark Lord knows Fudge does not believe He has return. The Aurors were among His main concerns and without them He is able to focus on more important matters… such as the prophecy about Potter and the Dark Lord.'

The silence in the staff room was absolute and lasted for a good many moments.

'What prophecy?' Black asked, looking at the other Order members, hoping one of them knew what was going on. 'What prophecy?' he repeated, his voice rising.

The werewolf stared at the dregs in his tea. 'I suspected something like this had happened,' he said quietly. 'Remember that night at Godric's Hollow, around Valentine's Day?'

Black nodded slowly. 'I thought Lily was acting a bit off… but I just assumed she was worried about the baby.'

'So did I, but then I overheard her talking to James… Lily was going on about Voldemort going after the baby; she kept on saying they needed to be careful. After I heard that… I knew was something going on, but I just didn't know what.'

'Why didn't you tell me?' Black demanded.

'If Lily had wanted us to know, she would have told us herself,' Lupin said evenly.

Black, unable to think of a rejoinder, sulked for a moment before asking impatiently, 'Well, what does the bloody thing say?'

'I am afraid I cannot tell you,' Albus said to Severus's surprise. 'It is not that-'

'He's my godson!' Black leapt to his feet, toppling his chair. 'I deserve to know!'

Severus could not help feeling a bit smug. He might not know the entire prophecy, but he still knew more of it than the mongrel did.

Albus raised his hand. 'Sirius, I understand it must be frustrating for you, but we simply cannot risk-'

'Bollocks!'

'-Cannot risk Voldemort discovering the contents of the prophecy.'

'What we are concerned about, Black,' Severus drawled, 'is another one of your mates  _ratting_  on us.'

Black's eyes flashed and Lupin flinched.

'Severus?' Minerva asked stiffly. 'Have you anything else to say?'

Severus finished his report, though admittedly there was not much he could give that the Order had not already surmised. General warnings, half-formed plans and speculation were all he knew.

'Well done, Severus.' Albus's eyes were solemn, his gaze understanding in such a way that Severus suspected the Headmaster at least had some inkling of what he had gone through to be allowed back in the Dark Lord's fold.

The Headmaster stood and chairs scraped across the stone floor as everyone followed suit. 'We shall reconvene on the fifth. If we have not found another location suitable for Headquarters, we shall meet here. Until then, try and convince those you can, and, as always, stay vigilant.'

The rest of the Order members lingered, but Severus had no wish to converse and slipped out of the staff room. He was almost to his quarters when his mind belatedly registered the sound of footfalls trailing him. He glanced over his shoulder then whipped around, unsheathing his wand.

Black was shaking with fury, teeth bared, wand out and a truly mad look in his eyes. Shockingly, he looked near tears. 'You bloody bastard,' he rasped. 'I'll kill you for this!'

'You've already tried, Black,' Severus said snidely, trying to sort out what the hell Black was going on about.

'And I wish it worked! I wish Moony had ripped you to shreds!'

He tightened his grip on his wand; it was public knowledge Black despised him, but still the rancor in Black's voice was beyond anything he had heard before.

'You made Regulus become a Death Eater- don't deny it, Bellatrix- Bellatrix told me! If it weren't for you-' Black sputtered, his rage choking his words.

'And your cousin certainly told the unimpeachable truth,' he sneered.

There was a flicker of doubt in Black's eyes, but it was driven away.  _'Plavato_!'

He ducked and the curse soared overhead.  _'Expelliarmus_!'

Black erected a shield and the red sparks glanced off; Severus seethed. He was exhausted, in pain and in no shape for a duel.

"A Disarming Spell? Going soft,  _Snivellus_?'

He snarled, frightfully tempted to cast a Dark Spell or two, instead he nonverbally cast  _Levicorpus_ and  _Liberacorpus_  in rapid succession- Black was yanked up into the air by his ankles and then dropped painfully on his head with an echoing  _crack_. 'Not so amusing, is it?' Severus sneered.

The mutt scrambled to his feet.  _'Ictus_!'

_'Prote-_ ' The hex hit him full on the face and he staggered back, blood spurting from his nose.

'You forced him into it!' Black roared advancing, though his wand was no longer pointed at him. 'You as good as killed him!'

Severus stiffened. 'I fail to see why you would care,' he sneered.

'He was my brother!' The shout echoed in the stone corridor, the word  _brother_ reverberating around them.

'You never cared about that fact before! You didn't give a damn about him!' Seeing Black was about protest, he barreled on. 'As soon as he befriended me you gave him up as a lost cause! If you cared so much, why didn't you try and stop him? But no, you ran away when he needed you the most!' His lip curled in disgust. 'Regulus was twice the man you are!'

Black snarled and pointed his wand straight at Severus's heart. He screamed,  _'Crucio!'_

The curse slammed into his chest and he collapsed, limbs jerking, nerves aflame as a scream tore through his throat. The pain couldn't be borne, he was going to die… in the distance a terrified voice was yelling,  _'Finite_!  _Finite_!  _Finite Incantatem_!'

It stopped. His arms and legs twitched spasmodically and his chest heaved with the effort to breathe.

Black was white as a sheet, eyes wide, a look of dawning horror on his face. 'I-no oh no, Merlin, I didn't…'

Severus continued to lie on the cold stone, struggling to bring his body back under control.

There was a popping noise and he managed to focus his eyes long enough to see a black dog running away.


	2. Fudge's Folly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following Voldemort's rebirth, Severus returns to his Master's side while a scandal in the Ministry throws the future into even greater uncertainty. Severus must push aside his own doubts and misgivings as he fights to protect all he holds dear. Post Goblet of Fire

Chapter Two: Fudge's Folly

 

_'Mankind is naturally divided into three sorts; one third of them are animated at the first appearance of danger, and will press forward to meet and examine it; another third are alarmed by it, but will neither advance nor retreat, till they know the nature of it, but stand to meet it. The remaining third will run or fly upon the first thought of it.' -John Adams_

* * *

 

'Hold the lift, please!' Hailey Ahlgrim called, rushing to the rapidly closing doors.

An arm wedged itself in the crevice between the doors and they sprung back, allowing her entrance to the lift.

Looking up to the owner of the arm, Hailey smiled. 'Thank you, Arnold.'

The Obliviator nodded. 'Which floor?'

'Five.' She braced her knee against the wall of the lift and placed her briefcase on it. Opening the briefcase she began to rummage through it.

'Running late are you?' Arnold asked, eyeing her harried state sympathetically.

She glanced at her watch. 'Nearly. I was on the Floo with France's Mugwump. He won't be able make it to the session. His wife is ill.'

'Is it serious?'

Hailey laughed, snapping her briefcase shut. 'She is a hypochondriac of the first order, so yes, I'm sure it's painful, chronic, and fatal.'

The lift ground to a halt. 'Level five, Department of International Magical Cooperation, Incorporating the International Magical Trading Standards Body, the International Magical Office of Law, and the International Confederation of Wizards, British Seats,' the recording intoned.

The doors opened and two memos zipped in as Hailey stepped out, bidding Arnold a good day.

It was exceedingly rare for an emergency session to be called, and Hailey was quite concerned, though when she opened the double doors to the General Assembly she made certain her expression was composed.

The General Assembly was a large ellipsoidal chamber with seven tiers on one side, each housing eleven members of the Confederation, and a large lectern on the other. Behind the podium was a marble sculpture of a witch with flowing robes. In her raised right hand she held a scroll, in her left hand, which rested at her side, she held her wand.

As always, Hailey was struck by the significance of _Signora Diplomazia_. She had always believed words and compassion were the better way, even though they worked slower than a wand. She wasn't naïve enough to think diplomacy would always work, but she thought it should be attempted whenever possible.

Hailey climbed to the second tier where her seat was denoted by a name plaque and a small flag of her country. She was almost the last to arrive. Moments after she had taken her seat, Greece's Mugwump, Matthias Pachis, entered the chamber, brushed some crumbs off his fustanella and sat heavily in his seat.

Albus Dumbledore was already at the lectern and, once Pachis was settled in his seat, began to speak. 'I would like to thank you all for coming on such short notice. I have always believed in the aims of this Confederation: to solve disputes peacefully, keep our world secreted from Muggle eyes, and to further peace and justice. Diplomacy, while admirable, is not always the answer for it requires both parties to adhere to reason and honesty. There have been times in Britain's history, in the history of all the countries assembled here, where diplomacy is not a choice, and those who are able must take up arms to protect all that is cherished and held dear… such a time is upon us now.'

An outbreak of whispers and murmurs followed this pronouncement. Hailey, her throat constricting, said nothing.

'A student of our school, Cedric Diggory, was murdered in the course of the final task of the Triwizard Tournament. The night of the event, Cornelius Fudge was summoned, though he did not believe my account of the events. I consider the truth to be generally preferable to lies, even if the truth is something frightening and terrible.

'A week ago, Voldemort regained His body and called His Death Eaters back into service. It was one of them who murdered Cedric Diggory.'

Gasps and cries of dismay resounded around the room and Hailey's hands flew to her mouth.

Wu Zhou leaned forward. 'You have evidence of this, Albus?'

The wizard nodded, and Hailey was struck with how old he suddenly appeared. 'Yes, we have an eyewitness account as well as the testimony of Bartemius Crouch, one of His servants.'

Denmark's representative, Ulrik Borgerlig, spoke. 'What are we going to do?' he asked.

Lino Guerro of Ecuador lifted his chin. 'We fight, we go after the _puta_!'

'You are welcome to, Guerro. I, however, will not,' Hajar Bashir said slowly, his thick eyebrows furrowed.

Jacobus Arendock shook his head. 'You are being foolish, Mr Bashir. You think He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named will limit Himself to Britain?'

'I know He will not," Bashir said, "but He will not be concerned with Sudan.'

Jacobus frowned. '"Strength Through Unity", that is my country's motto and I wholeheartedly believe it. Britain is in peril, I remember the days of You-Know-Who's first reign. Are we just going to leave her to her fate?'

Ingrid Bergfalk stood, her finely-tailored robes rustling with the movement. She was tall and slender, with long blonde hair, cunning eyes and cold smiles that never reached her eyes. Hailey had long despised her and the feeling was entirely mutual. 'Your phrasing is both exaggerated and melodramatic, Arendock,' she said, her voice cool, with a hint of a German accent. 'You speak as if not assisting Britain would be akin to murder. You forget that you need to be concerned with the affairs of your own country; Britain survived perfectly intact after the last…unpleasantness with the Dark Lord, I see no reason why that would change now, especially with such a _powerful_ wizard as Albus Dumbledore involved.' The last words were accompanied by a slight nod and twist of the lips.

'The Order of the Phoenix,' Hailey asked, 'what of them? Have they reorganised as well?' While the Order of the Phoenix was indeed a "secret" society, that is, that no one knew who the actual members were, it was widely known that Albus was its leader.

'Yes, the Order of the Phoenix has been resurrected and is-'

The door burst open then and Cornelius Fudge hurried inside, a wizard with red hair and horned-rimmed spectacles on his heels. Fudge's eyes took in the sight of Albus at the lectern, the worried, shocked, frightened, and supercilious (only Ingrid Bergfalk fit this description) members of the Confederation and put the two together.

Swelling like a blowfish, the Minister advanced, pointing his pudgy finger at Albus. 'No, Dumbledore! I told you- I won't have you spreading those- those lies and unfounded speculation!'

'Doesn't sound unfounded to me,' Lino Guerro snapped.

'Why didn't you say anything?'

'How could you keep this a secret?'

' _Er du vansinnig? Eller bara en idioten_?'

Fudge stared at the rising tide of protesters with wide eyes. It occurred to Hailey then that Fudge did not realize how unpopular he was with the Confederation. Though the general populace liked Fudge, those who worked with him, or indeed knew anyone who did, most emphatically did not.

'Now, now see here, Dumbledore,' Fudge had taken off his hat and was twisting it nervously in his hands, 'I've always stood by you, even though many of your decisions have been…' He was unable to pinpoint the correct word and pressed on. 'But no more!' he cried, brandishing his hat. 'You broke the oath you took when you became a Mugwump of this Confederation and that is to tell the truth! In breach of that oath you are hereby sacked from the International Confederation of Wizards! You-'

Hailey was not the only one to leap to her feet at Fudge's declaration. Emiliano Adessi muttered a few Italian epithets under his breath before switching to English, 'Of all the-!' and an outraged Minister Oblansk cried, 'Vhat? You think _vhat_ is the answer?'

'Minister Fudge,' Hailey tried her utmost to sound calm, 'if you wish to remove Albus for perjury there must first be an inquiry, you cannot-'

'Do not tell me what I can or cannot do, Ahlgrim!' He turned to the aide at his side and hissed a few words in his ear. The young man nodded and left the room.

She had never seen Fudge act in this manner before, and for a moment was quite at a loss as to what to say. Lifting her chin, she quietly replied, 'I am merely reminding you of what the law says.'

Her answer only served to catapult his rage to new heights. 'Say another word, Ahlgrim, and I'll have you thrown off the Confederation as well!'

'On what grounds?' she demanded.

Fudge flustered for a minute, before stammering, 'I-I am sure I would be able find something!'

Lawrence Ware rose to his feet, his burned hands gripping his cane tightly. 'Listen to yourself, Minister, you are speaking madness!'

' _Silence_! Ahlgrim, I order you to stand down!'

Hailey crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the Minister in response. 'Stand down, Ahlgrim, unless you wish to be sacked from this Confederation!'

She gritted her teeth, but stood her ground. She had spent more than ten years in the Ministry… never had she imagined her political career would end in such a manner, but it would be unconscionable for her to stand aside.

Then she saw Professor Dumbledore shake his head. It was barely perceptible; Hailey was most likely the only one who spotted it. The Headmaster shook his head again, telling her to sit down.

Hailey took her seat and Fudge positively glowed with satisfaction. Not wanting to look as if Fudge had scored any sort of victory over her she said, 'As you wish… Professor Dumbledore.'

Fudge's eyes flashed and he whirled on Albus, who held up his hands in a placating manner. 'She is only following your directive, Cornelius.'

The double doors swung open and the young man reentered along with two Aurors, both of whom looked grave.

Fudge motioned them over. 'Williamson, Dawlish, escort Dumbledore off of the Ministry premises.'

Both of them looked at Fudge in shock, but after a moment of hesitation seized Dumbledore by the arms and took him out of the room.

'And furthermore,' Fudge continued, his voice rising with every word, 'any Ministry of Magic employee discovered spreading lies about the so-called rebirth of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named or Dumbledore's band of vigilantes will be sacked!'

Eelis Laukkanen jumped to his feet, hands clenched. 'And what of us? You forget, Minister, we are not under your country's jurisdiction!' 'If any of you so much as breathe a word about this, Britain will no longer welcome you as a member of this Confederation and we will embargo all of your country's exports- you do not want to make me your enemy, Laukkanen!'

And with that parting threat, the Minister for Magic left the Grand Assembly Room.

Lino Guerro drew his wand and made to head after Fudge but was halted by Mr Torres who grabbed his arm and began speaking to him rapidly in Spanish.

All around her, the debate flew fast and furious, but Hailey was unable to pay it much heed. She raised a trembling hand up to her face and pushed a lock of hair out of her eyes.

'You did the right thing, Hailey,' Lawrence said, laying a gnarled hand on her shoulder.

She shook her head. 'No,' she said, her voice hollow, 'no I did the cowardly thing.'

'I was watching Dumbledore, he wanted you to sit down.' He squeezed her shoulder. 'I am truly sorry.'

For a moment, she tried to work out what he meant, for it could mean so many things, then it hit her. _Voldemort_.

'I-I have to go,' she said shakily, gathering her things and climbing to her feet.

'I know,' he said simply; there was such understanding and compassion in his eyes that it pained her to look at them. She embraced him, and then made her way to the door.

Amidst the bedlam Hailey thought Lawrence was the only one to notice her departure, then she saw Ingrid Bergfalk watching her with an icy smile.

Hailey glared, then opened the door and slipped out. Once in the corridor, her steps quickened until she broke out into a run. She bypassed the lifts and yanked open the door leading to the stairs, descending them two at a time till she reached the eighth floor.

She stepped into the Atrium, her eyes scanning for Dumbledore. Finally she spotted his silver hair near the Visitor's Entrance and dashed over. 'Dawlish, Williamson, stop!' she commanded, trying to sound authoritative, which was difficult as she was attempting to catch her breath at the same time.

The two Aurors halted and turned, though they still kept a hold on Albus.

'Please, I need to speak to Professor Dumbledore for a minute.'

'Now, listen here,' Dawlish said gruffly, 'we've got orders- straight from the Minister himself- to escort-'

'Come on, John,' the other Auror said, 'she needs just a moment-'

Seeing that the grey-haired wizard appeared unconvinced, Hailey reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver W, her badge denoting her as a member of the Wizengamot.

'Very well,' Dawlish muttered, releasing Albus and stepping a few meters away; Williamson followed suit.

'Did you lose your post?' Albus asked.

'No… Albus, what were you thinking?' she cried, throwing her hands up in the air. 'The Confederation needed to be informed, I am not disputing that, but to do it in such a brazen manner! Why didn't you simply send us all owls? Now Fudge is threatening to sack any one who mentions… Him or the Order of the Phoenix-'

'Is that so?' Albus interrupted, looking quite pleased. ' _Yes_ , why are you-' She stopped as she realised what he was playing at. If there was any way to guarantee the "rumors" of Voldemort's rebirth would continue to spread it was by outlawing them to be spoken. 'You sly codger! That was brilliant- but I was almost sacked, I should have been sacked! Why did you tell me to stand down?' she demanded.

'Hailey, I know you are a strong witch, no one who knows you would accuse you of not sticking to your principles, but I could not allow you to throw your career away in such a manner. Now, more than ever, we need to ensure that people such as you, who know the truth of Voldemort's return, are in the Ministry.'

Hailey could see the sense in such a statement. With Albus no longer in the Ministry it was more important than ever for those who weren't in Fudge's pocket to stay in the Ministry, but… 'You made me take the coward's way out!' she accused.

'No, I prevented you from taking the easy way out.'

She blinked. 'The easy way out?' she repeated incredulously. 'It would have cost me my career!'

Albus surveyed her solemnly over his half-moon spectacles. 'At times it takes more strength, more courage to withstand injustice, to quietly strive against such forces than to sacrifice oneself in a grand, dramatic display of martyrdom.'

She considered his words for a moment and inclined her head. 'I suppose. You are correct, as always.' Hailey crossed her arms as if in defense of a sudden chill and turned her head away. 'I should tell my father about You-Know- about what happened. It would be best if he heard it from me.' Shequickly embraced the Headmaster, stepped away and Disapparated.

 

* * *

 

 

Her father would take the news of Voldemort's recrudescence especially hard.

The beginning of Voldemort's first uprising was marked by deaths and disappearances, and, as a result, many suspected all Voldemort was capable of was breaking in and murdering the poor residents like a common burglar. Terrible yes, but far from the catastrophe Albus and others were prophesying was imminent. The Ministry assured the uneasy public the number of Death Eaters was greatly exaggerated and Voldemort would soon be apprehended by Aurors.

Then, on the bright wintry morning of December 23rd 1970, everything changed.

Children were disembarking the Hogwarts Express at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and were being reunited with their families when Death Eaters struck. Hailey lost her mother and brother in what became known as the King's Cross Massacre, a terrible blow from which her father never truly recovered.

She worried her lip, forcibly dragging her mind to the present. She stood in front of the door leading to her father's study, but was greatly reluctant to enter. Sighing softly, Hailey opened the door.

Radulph Ahlgrim's study was in its usual state of disarray. Open tomes and parchments were scattered across the desk as well the odd gadget and gizmo. Her father was standing before a long chalk board full of Arithmatic equations.

'…five, five… the number of action and restlessness… no matter what variables I change the answer remains the same…' he muttered, 'but what does _she_ have to do with it all?'

Hailey delicately cleared her throat to announce her presence.

Her father turned around, his frown of consternation relaxing into a smile. He took his pipe out of his mouth. 'Hailey,' he said warmly, striding forward to embrace her.

She dropped her briefcase and threw her arms around him, holding him tightly, wishing she was once again a little girl and her father held the power to fix all that was wrong in her world. But that was years ago. Pulling away, Hailey deftly wiped her eyes.

Radulph's smile faded and his eyes grew solemn. 'What's wrong?' Hailey swallowed and looked away, her eyes tracing the patterns on the intricate rug.

'What is wrong?' he repeated, grabbing her hands and holding them tightly. 'Hailey?'

'It's He-' Hailey could not bring herself to finish the thought. Once she spoke the words aloud they would become real on a level she could not bear. Her father took a shaky breath and Hailey dove on. 'I know you've been hearing the rumours- about trouble brewing throughout all of Britain. With the Dark Mark appearing at the World Cup-'

He looked at her sharply, dread pooling in his eyes. 'No…'

'-the disappearance of Bertha and Mr Crouch-'

'Oh Merlin…'

Hailey threw her arms around his neck and held him as tightly as she could. 'Oh, Father, I'm so sorry, it happened-it happened,' her lips trembled and her rapid delivery failed, ' _He's back_.' The tears came for both of them as he wrapped his arms around her.

They stood that way for quite some time, simply letting each other grieve. Voldemort had taken so much from them; her father had lost his son and his other half, while she lost her mother, brother and innocence. She was seven when her mother and brother were killed, her recollections of them were vague at best; though she remembered the afternoon of their deaths with horrifying clarity. Since then, her father had lived in the same fear that possessed all of Britain: the fear that someone else they loved was _next_. When she had turned eleven, her father sent her to Beauxbatons in France, and he was not the only one.

He pulled away and collapsed into his favorite armchair. He carded his fingers through his dark grey hair before putting his face in his hands. 'Start from the beginning.'

Hailey did so, telling him of Dumbledore's emergency meeting, his announcement, Fudge's rage, Albus losing his position, the Confederation's panic and the Minister's ultimatum. '…and then, I came here.'

Her father said nothing; rather he remained still, his eyes staring unblinkingly at the carpet. Suddenly, he stood and moved to the fireplace, bracing himself against the mantle with the hand not holding his pipe. 'You should go back to the Ministry; I expect you will be quite busy, especially now Albus is no longer part of the Confederation,' he said evenly.

Hailey hesitated, uncertain whether or not to leave her father alone.

'Go, Hailey.'

She went over to him, kissed him on the cheek and stepped out of the study. When she looked back, his gaze was fixed on the family portrait hanging above the mantle.

 

* * *

 

Stepping back into the Ministry, Hailey found it to be exactly as she had left it. She knew she was being ridiculous, but so much had changed in the course of the morning it was hard to believe that anything could remain as it was before. Yet the same witches and wizards milled about the Atrium, the brightly colored memos flew overhead and the symbols on the bewitched ceiling moved in their usual rhythm. She picked up her briefcase and slowly turned in a circle, taking in all the mundane sights that were so dear to her, realising that in the great scheme of things, in the face of the great conflict they would soon face, it all meant very little.

Hailey made her way to the queue in front of the lift, lost in her ruminations which carried her all the way to her office on the second floor. She opened the door to her office and was immediately set upon by her assistant, Clark Brown.

'Miss Ahlgrim! Have you heard? It's- It's-' Words failed him and he threw his hands up into the air. 'I never imagined this would happen!'

She dropped her briefcase onto her desk and turned to face Clark. As she held the role of both an Elder on the Wizengamot and a Mugwump on the International Confederation of Wizards she was given an aide, Clark Brown, a stout balding wizard with brown hair and a knack for remembering the most inconsequential details. Though "aide" was a term she used reluctantly as he was much more than that: Clark was her sounding board, her advisor, her confidante.

She sighed heavily. 'I know. I heard about it this morning. I could scarcely believe it either.' 'It's brilliant! I never thought we'd be so fortunate!'

Her face must be white as a sheet, she was certain of that. 'I-I'm sorry, Clark,' she stammered, 'my mind was elsewhere. What is brilliant?'

He took a deep breath. 'You remember what Orrell Taggart said a fortnight ago, at Wimple's retirement party?'

Thrown by the non sequitor it took a moment for her to respond. 'Vaguely. He said he could not recall hearing of one of the organisations receiving funding from the Ministry, correct?'

Clark nodded. 'The Society for Education and Enlightenment Regarding the Sight, or S.E.E.R.S., except that it doesn't exist.'

Her forehead scrunched together in confusion. 'Pardon?'

'The organisation doesn't exist,' Clark repeated slowly, a smile spreading across his face. 'Orrell got in touch with an investigator, and she was able to find three other such vapourous organisations created by Minister Fudge that still manage, by some clerical error I'm sure, to receive funds from the Ministry.'

'And _Fudge_ managed to orchestrate this? I would never imagine he had the guile to do such a thing!'

'Oh, he had help, of that I don't doubt, Miss Ahlgrim. But he nevertheless committed the crime and…'

Hailey knew her lips were twisted into a rather vindictive smile, but she could not keep her pleasure from being visible. 'And according to the _Magus Carta_ , Fudge will no longer be the Minister for Magic.'

'A just cause for celebration, I think.' Clark pulled out a bottle of champagne from his desk and tapped it with his wand. ' _Frigidiero_.' He popped off the cork of the now chilled bottle, conjured and filled two glasses, and handed one to her. 'Will you say a toast, Miss Ahlgrim?'

The fleeting sense of happiness she felt at the news of Fudge's imminent departure evaporated, leaving a painful hollowness in its wake. Tears prickled at the corner of her eyes and she bowed her head, her brown hair falling forward. Never had the future appeared so uncertain, or so greatly resembled a boggart lurking in a dark cupboard, waiting to take shape.


	3. Chapter Three: The Servant With Two Masters

Chapter Three: The Servant With Two Masters

_"Look at a man in the midst of doubt and danger, and you will learn in his hour of adversity what he really is. It is then that true utterances are wrung from the recesses of his breast. The mask is torn off; reality remains." -Lucretius_

* * *

 

_The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London._

Severus watched stoically as the dilapidated house that was the childhood residence of both his closest friend and worst enemy revealed itself. As much as he hated Black, he could not deny Grimmauld Place was the optimal location for the Order's Headquarters.

He rapped the serpentine knocker and the door was answered moments later by a dusty Molly Weasley. 'Oh, Severus, it's good to see you,' she whispered. It was evident she had been cleaning; her hair was wrapped up in a garish scarf, and a bottle of Mrs. Skowers was in her gloved hand, though as he stepped into the hall, it looked as if it had not been inhabited, much less cleaned, in over a decade.

Following his gaze, she explained, 'I started with the kitchen, that's where we'll have the meeting.'

He surveyed the thick cobwebs covering the crystal chandelier and the doxy-eaten tapestries. 'The house-elf… Kreacher, he died then?'

She made a distasteful face. 'No, he's still sulking around somewhere, he just decided to let the place rot.'

_A fitting tribute_ , he thought, heading into the kitchen. Here, the cleaning prowess of the Weasley matriarch shone. The copper kettles glinted, the hearth was swept and all the cobwebs and dust were banished.

As he was the first to arrive he had the prime choice of the assortment of mismatched chairs and benches gathered from the house surrounding the table. Severus dragged one of the dining room chairs to the corner, sat down and waited for the others to arrive. His seat was half hidden in shadows and would afford him a clear view of all those in attendance, while they would have to crane their necks to properly look at him.

The door swung open and Black entered. Their eyes met over the sack of dead rats Black was carrying; Severus raised an eyebrow and Black beat a hasty retreat.

Severus had elected not to tell anyone of the incident that had taken place after the last Order meeting. Not out of a desire to spare Black, but because he knew the dread of waiting for the gauntlet to fall would be worse than whatever punishment the Headmaster would choose.

Molly Weasley entered a few minutes later. She had dispensed with the head scarf and gloves, and had expunged the dirt from her robes. She bustled about, pulling out pots and pans and various ingredients. Humming to herself, she flicked on the WNN.

There was a jingle for butterbeer (" _Barney says: I'm just batty about Butterbeer!_ ") and then the crisp voice of a wizard. _'Good evening and welcome to Ministry Matters, your source on the latest governmental news. I'm your host Barry Curtis. The Ministry is reeling from yesterday's tumultuous events and many Ministry officials have put in quite the awkward position. For more, I have with me Bathilda Bagshot, author of the world-renowned, A History of Magic. Bathilda, thank you for coming on.'_

_'It's always a pleasure, Barry,'_ she said, her voice quavering with her advanced age.

_'Let's get straight to the heart of the matter. Yesterday, Wizengamot charged Cornelius Fudge with embezzlement of Ministry funds, yet he has not stepped down, why is that?'_

The witch chuckled. _'Because there is no one to replace him! Traditionally, the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement would become Minister, but Madam Bones has chosen not to pursue the position.'_

_'So what happens now?'_

_'An open election will determine the new Minister. In the meantime, Fudge will remain Minister, though the scope of his power is greatly reduced and he will be monitored very closely.'_

_'What can we expect to happen with the election?'_

_'It will be held in this September. That is, of course, not much time from now, but all parties involved wish to remove Fudge as quickly as possible.'_

The discussion turned to potential candidates, at which Severus couldn't fully repress a snort.

Members of the Order began to trickle into the kitchen, and the room was soon filled with the hum of conversation. Aside from a nod of greeting from Minerva and a distrustful glance from Moody (which he returned with a sneer), he was largely ignored. Black who was seated next to Lupin was trying his best to pretend Severus did not exist; Black's lack of hostility was so out of character it caused Lupin to frown worriedly. Soon, they all settled around the table while they waited for the arrival of the Headmaster.

Suddenly there was a tremendous _crash_ in the entryway and a voice began to screech, ' _FILTHY VERMIN! HOW DARE YOU_ -'

Black swore angrily and ran out of the kitchen.

Many of the Order members looked quite taken aback, but Severus smirked to himself. It was not an uncommon (though expensive) practice for families to commission a bewitched portrait of their deceased loved ones. Usually, it brought a great sense of comfort to the surviving family, though if the individual was especially aggravating, the portrait was usually ignored, or became something of a conversation piece. Severus could not deny he found the idea of Mrs. Black continuing her lifelong persecution of her eldest son from beyond the grave rather gratifying.

'Shut it, you old hag!' Black yelled.

' _YOU! SHAME OF MY FLESH_!' Mrs. Black continued her diatribe, calling Black, among other things, a "worm", "mongrel," and Severus's personal favourite, "an odious stain upon society."

' _Sorry! I'm sorry, I didn't see_ -' a witch's voice joined the cacophony.

Lupin rushed out to help and soon Mrs Black's shrieks were muffled and replaced with a shriek of surprise, ' _Sirius! Smegging hell_!'

Several minutes later the doors opened and Albus entered followed by Lupin and Black, who was deep in conversation with a blue-haired witch Severus instantly recognised. Once Black and Lupin were seated, Albus addressed the group. 'I am pleased to introduce to you, Auror Nymphadora Tonks.'

She rolled her eyes. 'It's Tonks, just Tonks.' Greetings were exchanged, to which Tonks replied with a cheery, 'Wotcher!'

Severus sneered. Tonks exceeded Longbottom in incompetence, a feat which made him remember her particularly vividly and with particular distaste. She had managed to scrape by with an _O_ in her Potions O.W.L. by nothing but sheer determination. She also had a penchant for misbehaving that could not be deterred.

Charlie smiled at her. 'It's good to have you on board, Tonks. What finally made you see the light?'

'The Ministry, if you can believe it.' Tonks plopped onto the the bench and swung her legs over it, kicking Mundungus Fletcher in the process. 'The day before last the Ministry issued a decree to disregard any rumours of dark activity and told us not to mention you lot. When I came into work yesterday, there were notices everywhere telling us not to blab unless we wanted to clear out our desks. Of course, I knew something was up. So I-' Tonks spotted him and she stared at him, gobsmacked for a moment before she found her voice. 'Snape? Lord, I didn't think I'd be seeing you here. If anything, I thought you'd be with the other lot.'

He surveyed her coldly over his steepled fingers. 'And I never thought I'd see you pass my class- it appears we were both incorrect.'

Tonks screwed her face in anger; or at least that's what he thought it was before she sprouted inky black hair and a large, hooked nose.

Dedalus giggled loudly while the others tried to smother their sniggers with varying degrees of success. Black stared straight ahead with gritted teeth.

Severus remained seething long after the Headmaster called the meeting to order.

'…inside the Ministry was where we needed people the most,' Arthur was saying now, 'but now with the Minister's decree…' He shook his head.

'We could still talk to people, we'd just have to be careful,' Hestia Jones suggested. 'It's not like the words are Tabooed, right?'

Lupin shook his head. 'Too risky; and they'd hardly be sympathetic to our cause if we lost them their job."

'Has anyone been sacked yet?' Podmore asked. 'No one I know has, but then again, we Unspeakables are better at keeping our mouths shut.'

'Acantha Summers was given the elbow this morning, she's from the Invisibility Task Force,' Tonks said. 'She saw the notice and, silly berk that she is, she opens her big gob and asks, "What d'you mean we can't mention the Order of the Phoenix?" And someone overhead that and reported her. Personally I think it was Jessica Brocklehurst, she's been on a right warpath ever since Acantha started dating her ex, Apollo, and she was looking rather smug today.'

Severus sat up in his chair. 'You mean _anyone_ can report a Ministry official?'

Tonks nodded slowly. 'Yeah… all they needs to do is write up a report, submit it to the "Committee for the Assurance of Ethics and Accountability of Ministry Employees"', she made quotation marks with her fingers, 'that's a group of Fudge's mates he promoted to enforce this idiotic edict, and _bam_ they're gone. They hardly even bother investigating it, they make sure the two at least had some contact with one another, but that's about it.'

'Well, we all know the Ministry can be a bit hasty when it comes to justice,' Black said bitterly.

Severus's lips curled into a smirk. 'I shall have to thank Fudge for this,' he muttered to himself.

Minerva leaned forward, having perceived a slight on one of her cubs. 'What was that?' she demanded sharply.

'Doesn't anyone else see it?' he asked. They all looked at one another and Dung mumbled, 'See what?'

Albus smiled, his eyes twinkling. 'An excellent idea, Severus.'

'Which is?' Doge asked, his voice wheezy.

Severus addressed Tonks. 'Tomorrow, when you go to work be sure to stop by the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, say you have a message to deliver, I don't care what, then you go and write up Walden Macnair.'

Tonks frowned. 'Who's Walden Macnair?'

His lips curled upwards. 'A Death Eater.'

It seemed everyone else had cottoned on, for they were all babbling excitedly. 'A capital idea!' Flitwick squeaked.

Lupin cleared his throat. 'But how long will it work? The Ministry will be bound to notice eventually-'

'And they will,' Severus said. 'At which point they shall have to repeal the damn thing before the Ministry whittles its way down to nothing. The Ministry might even reinstate those we manage to sack, but at the very least we will have greatly disrupted the Dark Lord's channels of information.'

'Why should we sack Macnair first?' Moody asked Albus, seeking some point with which he could argue with Severus. "Why not another Death Eater?'

'The Dark Lord will be seeking to ally Himself with those largely estranged from society,' Severus cast a sidelong glance towards Lupin, 'with good reason. Macnair is able to use his contacts within the Department for the Regulation of Magical Creatures to scout them out and appeal to them on the Dark Lord's behalf.'

Lupin and Black looked at each other. 'Macnair goes,' Black said, his tone leaving no room for dispute.

Just then the Mark on Severus's arm burned. His left arm twitched, but he gave no other outward indication of the pain. Rising, he gave an entirely superfluous glance at the clock on the wall, announced brusquely, 'I have other business to attend to,' and swept towards the door.

'What? Leaving so soon? Got a hot date or something?' Tonks called.

Moody guffawed loudly and much of the Order seemed to have been struck with a coughing jinx.

Severus's face twisted into a snarl, and he slammed the door, causing the hall of portraits to screech and scream once more.

 

* * *

 

The moor was dark, deserted, and blanketed by a layer of mist so dense it obscured Severus's feet and limited his vision to an ell's length. With nary a glance to the left or to the right, Severus stalked through the fog. For thirty paces the oppressive mist continued and then it ended abruptly and Severus emerged in a large clearing where a circle of cloaked figures stood, their pale masks glinting in the light of the waxing moon.

In the center stood the Dark Lord with Wormtail cowering at His side.

Severus strode forward and dropped to one knee. 'My Lord.'

The Dark Lord inclined his head in acknowledgment. 'Rise, Severus,' he commanded.

Tearing down the fortifications around his mind, Severus stood and met the Dark Lord's gaze, forcing a slew of memories to rise to the forefront of his mind.

Immediately images of the past few days flashed through his mind: him hexing Black, McGonagall trying to steer him into less volatile territory during the Order meeting, and him sipping his morning coffee with a scowl on his face.

The Dark Lord withdrew, His thin, bloodless lips curled into a smirk. He nodded, and Severus stepped back into the circle.

Contrary to what one might believe, the Dark Lord despised excessive fawning. He had an ego that needed stroking to be sure, but doing so was a tricky business. Excessive flattery struck the Dark Lord as insincere, and the only thing worse than being insincere was being ineffectual.

Though there were other things the Dark Lord despised as well. When Severus had Apparated to the Dark Lord after the Third Task he was nearly killed on sight; it had taken many bouts of the Cruciatus Curse, and other Dark Magic and much Legilimency before the Dark Lord was convinced he had never strayed from the cause, and that his absence in the Little Hangleton graveyard was to protect his standing as a loyal agent of Dumbledore's. Even then, many of the Death Eaters were rather leery of him, though they strove to give no outward indication of their mistrust.

Severus was among the last to arrive. Judging by the head count this would be a meeting with all of the Death Eaters (excluding those in Azkaban of course) in attendance. In the past there had been many gatherings where only a select few were called. There had also been times where it was just himself and the Dark Lord.

Two more figures entered the clearing, the first a tall, robust wizard who Severus tentatively identified as Walden Macnair, though with the mask it was impossible to be certain, and next to him… Severus sucked in a breath through his teeth, his face becoming pale under his mask.

Fenrir Greyback's yellow eyes swept the circle as he took his place next to Macnair.

'Fortune seems to have decided to favour Lord Voldemort at last.' The Dark Lord said, 'Thanks to Fudge's timely indiscretion we shall have the Ministry far sooner than I anticipated… for why trouble ourselves with breaking through the window when the door is wide open?'

Severus, who had a very good idea where this was going, swore fervently to himself.

'The door is indeed open, open for my trusted servant, Lucius Malfoy to enter the election and become Minister for Magic!'

In an instant, the boon of Cornelius Fudge's imminent departure had been revealed for the curse it really was.

Malfoy inclined his head. 'It is, as always, a honour to serve You, my Lord.'

The Dark Lord continued, 'Another wizard will be announcing his candidature tomorrow evening as well, a Professor Hubert Allgood. He is a fool and has spent years as Fudge's sycophant, hardly an opponent by any means.'

Severus had always dreaded the day Lucius Malfoy would formally enter the realm of politics. For a man of his wealth and influence whose only occupation was ordering house elves about and bribing Ministry officials it was inevitable. For a brief moment Severus casually considered whether a monkshood or asphodel based poison would work best in preventing Malfoy from being elected Minister, but the idea, for reasons he could not identify, was repugnant, and he pushed it away.

After ordering His followers to assist Lucius in his bid for Minister in any way possible, the Dark Lord then began to take reports from His servants. Severus listened attentively, committing every word to memory. The Dark Lord heard from all of them in turn, then He came to Severus. His eyes darted from side to side, then He hissed, 'Leave us.'

His followers hastened to obey, and the air was filled with the whip-like crack of Dissapparation, leaving only the Dark Lord, Wormtail, and Severus in the clearing.

The Dark Lord drew his wand, conjured a throne-like chair and sat. He gestured to the open area before Him. 'Sit.'

Severus produced a wingback chair and settled into it, while Wormtail hovered by the Dark Lord's side like a craven, slovenly dressed butler.

'Remove your mask.'

Severus did as he was ordered; pushing all from his mind except for the devotion he had felt for the Dark Lord so many years ago and met his Master's gaze evenly. And the interrogation began.


End file.
